Monday, January 14, 2013

Pushing Back Islamists

Mali is now the latest Islamist hot-spot. A fall-out from the insurrection/revolution in Libya. Where the disparate, back-stabbing, antagonistic, conflicted tribal militias were fortunate enough to get NATO during a period of weak resolve posing as backbone, to 'get their backs'. Which is to say, engage the West's advanced weaponry from the air to target Moammar Ghadafi's military and hasten his gruesome demise.

The weapons stockpiles, artillery, chemical weapons, countless high-powered arms were looted, in an 'uh-oh' moment and hustled through the desert to Islamist groups right grateful for their procurement thanks to the auspices of a foreshortened imagination of opportunity presenting itself in the fog of the theatre of war.

African mercenaries with no place left for them in Libya, trudged back home, hauling their arms and more beside and set their sights to allegiances with al-Qaeda aligned militias. And another victory of violent jihad was born. Even some Malian military groups favoured by the United States and thus given training and arms, surprised their sponsor by joining the Islamists now reigning in Northern Mali.

Enter France; its former colonialist master. Where the Socialist President Francois Hollande made haste to offer his bona fide credentials as a decisive leader, sternly sending French troops to halt the Islamist advance in the interests of saving Mali and rescuing French prisoners. The former is in motion, the latter are motionless in death.

Surprise: the Islamist militias fond of their al-Qaeda heritage are not only well armed but ferociously intent on retaining their position, having grown fond in the last few months of trashing heretic-Islam monuments of ancient heritage, of gently introducing Sharia by lopping off heads and hands. And generally terrorizing Malians unfortunate enough to live in the north of the country.

And now Mali's President Dioncounda Traore tweeted the announcement that Canada, the United States and Britain have all agreed with the limited engagement of the provision of logistical support in favour of joining the committed and the honourable in the worthy war against Islamist fundamentalism, and fanatic enforcers of same.

The Canadian Prime Minister had stated bluntly enough that while he and his government viewed Mali's situation with great trepidation and hope for the future, that Africans in their military collective were up to the task of halting the forward momentum of the Islamists' inexorable intention to march forward to capture an even greater geographic trophy, Canada will not send its troops to achieve that goal.

No direct military aid to Mali per se, but a continuation of Canada's training of Malian military personnel. And heaps of goodwill.